Dream of the Ocean

After he told the girl everything he had seen and heard along the way, she crossed her arms, adopting a thoughtful expression.

Just as his thoughts began to wander, Xu Xiaoyou's voice snapped him back.

"Tell me again how you got out of the company headquarters?"

Lin Xing was stunned, then subconsciously said, "At the center of the company headquarters is a dark star condensing engine. It's a device that powers R'lyeh, and also a one-way portal for the company's ships to other hive cities. When I was cornered, I drove a float-ship straight into that engine tower..."

As Lin Xing spoke, he realized the logical conflict in his words; the escape had been too perilous, and only now did he truly comprehend it.

"Are you saying you went all the way around the company headquarters, hijacked a department head right under Sky Eye's nose, and then, cornered during your escape, drove a float-ship into a portal that wasn't heavily guarded and was the only way to leave the company headquarters?"

Lin Xing fell silent.

"You mean someone was pulling strings in the shadows?"

Although the facts were absurd, Xu Xiaoyou still considered the information in Lin Xing's words. If Emerald 1 wasn't killed by the puppeteer, then someone had eliminated a rival and framed Yorick?

If it were merely internal company strife, she wouldn't be interested, but the forbidden object Hundred-Bone Whip Yorick carried had an intricate connection to her.

Could this matter be related to Diamond 9?

"Next, I'll be returning to the company." Lin Xing's voice interrupted Xu Xiaoyou's thoughts.

"One escape wasn't thrilling enough, was it?"

"No." Lin Xing's slightly weathered eyes narrowed, suddenly revealing a hawk-like sharpness.

"This time, I'm going for revenge—revenge for my brother, and revenge for myself."

"All this suffering originated from the company, and I will repay it twofold."

"As for these matters, Miss Xu, only you and I know about them."

Lin Xing slowly turned around, his grey-black robes flapping in the wind. He cast a final, wary glance at the girl behind him.

"I'm currently a wanted man by the company. If you wish, you can use my information to claim the bounty."

"But if we meet again, we'll be enemies."

With that, the youth slowly walked away, vanishing into a shimmering golden light.

White clouds scattered across the sky, a sea breeze gently swept through the harbor, the surface of the sea rippled with sparkling light, seabirds soared across the heavens, and a few cries echoed from afar.

Xu Xiaoyou spread her hands helplessly:

"Why do I feel like I'm some kind of villain? How could I do something so heartless?"

At five in the afternoon, Tang Xin walked into the cafe, carrying a suitcase. She saw the blonde girl sitting by the window, propping her face in her hand, watching the distant dockworkers load cargo.

"What are you spacing out about?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking about a few things," Xu Xiaoyou said.

In the end, she didn't betray Lin Xing, though she admitted that seeing his bounty of hundreds of millions of credit points had made her heart flutter slightly.

This also made her curious about just how much trouble he had caused at the company headquarters for them to spend such a hefty sum on his bounty.

Just then, there was a stir at the harbor.

Xu Xiaoyou stood up, took the suitcase from Tang Xin's hand, and walked out of the cafe.

"Let's go, my big star, the cruise ship has arrived."

Under the clear sky, the distant whistle of the cruise ship entering the harbor echoed, a long wail breaking the afternoon's calm, spreading from the outer port.

The seamlessly fitted hull parted the sea, and its tens of thousands of tons made this leviathan appear like a mountain rising from the earth as it sailed into the harbor, casting a shadow over the dockworkers loading cargo. Looking up, even the radiant star in the sky paled before this king of the ocean.

Amidst the deep blast of the ship's horn, the cruise ship docked at the harbor. The sea, shimmering with fragmented golden light, gently swayed, wide white waves crashed against the shore, and a long, deep blue waterway vanished into the rolling swells. Startled seabirds flew towards the horizon, becoming tiny black specks.

The Dream of the Ocean cruise ship was 220 meters long, 12 stories high, and 43 meters wide. It had 600 cabins, several hundred square meters of onboard restaurants, clubs, opera houses, cafes, gyms, medical centers, beauty salons, and more, like a mobile city at sea.

Operating year-round at sea, it also served as a mobile oceanic monitoring station, regularly tracking ocean current data three thousand nautical miles from the Star of Art to ensure that no high-risk urban legends emerged in the waters nearby.

Every year after the winter hunt, young members of the families would choose a day to hold a social gala on the cruise ship. It was often then that various variety shows would gather on the resort island to film, providing entertainment for the noble scions enjoying their island vacation.

"You're blocking the way, are you blind?"

On the boarding ramp, people streamed past. A strange, high-pitched voice came from behind. Xu Xiaoyou turned to see a made-up youth, whose skin was even fairer than hers, looking at her arrogantly.

He was accompanied by a retinue of photographers, makeup artists, and fashion designers, looking like a family on vacation. At first glance, the youth seemed quite familiar, like a second-tier idol recently heavily promoted by a media company.

Seeing the girl's expressionless gaze, the idol, feeling humiliated, was about to say something, when his sharp-eyed agent recognized the blonde girl. Wiping sweat from his forehead, he quickly rushed forward and profusely apologized:

"I'm so sorry, Miss Xu, I've caused you trouble. Please don't take it to heart, I'll reprimand him."

Seeing his usually stern agent speak so respectfully to the blonde girl, the idol immediately realized he had caused trouble and fell silent.

Xu Xiaoyou merely chuckled softly, walked up to the youth who was hanging his head, patted his shoulder, and said nothing.

Long after she had left, the idol remained standing there, distraught.

Entering the ship's cabin, the bright light suddenly dimmed, and it took Xu Xiaoyou some time to adjust. She walked through a luxuriously decorated corridor, carpeted with goose down, where gilded framed artworks flashed by every few meters along the walls.

Tang Xin needed to prepare for the family gala on the ship that evening. Xu Xiaoyou had asked the company's makeup artist to take Tang Xin aboard first, otherwise, with Tang Xin's current popularity, the "wow"s of astonishment around them would surely drown her out.

Xu Xiaoyou observed her surroundings. Besides family members, some trending celebrities and staff from media companies, and scattered tourists, she also saw students wearing Starry Art Academy uniforms on the deck, who appeared to be Student Council members.

Just then, a young man's figure caught her eye. His sunny, gentle face wore a strained expression as he continuously politely declined invitations from the girls circling him. After finally making his way into the cabin, his expression quickly darkened, and he hurried away.

Lancelot, Xu Xiaoyou thought, her heart stirring.

Why were Student Council members here at this time?